Census-designated place · Livingston Parish, Louisiana

Watson, Louisiana

Watson is a census-designated place in Livingston Parish, Louisiana, part of the Baton Rouge, LA metro area. It has 1,357 residents. Watson, Louisiana has a quality-of-life score of 12 out of 100 (very low), ranking #13,841 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Louisiana it ranks #100 of 262 cities and towns. It ranks best on broadband subscriptions (high), effective property tax rate (low) and days with unhealthy air (low). It ranks worst on natural hazard risk (high), child poverty rate (high) and depression (high).

12Very low

Quality-of-life score: #13,841 of 15,651 cities and towns
Louisiana: #100 of 262 in LA
Population: 1,357 (2020-2024)
Land area: 1 mi²
Density: 1,414.9 /mi²
FIPS code: 2280010

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 72 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety12#13,793/15,637
Economy34#10,383/15,631
Housing—
Health20#12,547/15,609
Healthcare18#12,808/15,650
Environment13#13,510/15,453
Education34#10,254/15,649
Infrastructure81#3,005/15,650
Community7#14,490/15,651
Leisure & amenities9#14,194/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Watson, Louisiana ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Livingston Parish value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Broadband subscriptions · high100.0%
99/100Louisiana 86.6%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Effective property tax rate · low0.48%
89/100Louisiana 0.55%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090High uncertainty
Days with unhealthy air · low0.0%
84/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyLivingston Parish value
Child care cost burden · low23.2%
83/100Louisiana 30.2%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteLivingston Parish value
Drought exposure · low12%
77/100Louisiana 52%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAALivingston Parish value
High ozone days · low0 days
76/100Louisiana 0 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyLivingston Parish value

Weaknesses

Natural hazard risk · high97.1
3/100Louisiana 71.72025Federal Emergency Management AgencyLivingston Parish value
Child poverty rate · high29.3%
3/100Louisiana 25.0%United States 15.5%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001High uncertainty
Depression · high30.2%
4/100Louisiana 27.2%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Primary care physicians · low20 /100k
5/100Louisiana 71 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteLivingston Parish value
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · high9.3 µg/m³
6/100Louisiana 8.9 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyLivingston Parish value
Average weekly wage · low$908
6/100Louisiana $1,213United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsLivingston Parish value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
1,252 (2015-2019) → 1,357 (2020-2024)
+8.4%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
100.0% (2015-2019) → 0.0% (2020-2024)
−100 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Child poverty rateWorsening
0.0% (2015-2019) → 29.3% (2020-2024)
+29 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
81.6% (2015-2019) → 100.0% (2020-2024)
+18 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Poverty rateWorsening
0.0% (2015-2019) → 17.2% (2020-2024)
+17 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
19.2% (2015-2019) → 28.6% (2020-2024)
+9.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Watson, Louisiana improved on 1 of 6 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 5 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved1

Broadband+18 points81.6% → 100.0%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 6 measures

Change of every measure of Watson, Louisiana between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Bachelor's degree or higher	19.2%2015-2019	28.6%2020-2024	+9.4 points	Within the margin of error	88%
Broadband subscriptions	81.6%2015-2019	100.0%2020-2024	+18 points	Improved	87%
High school diploma or higher	94.4%2015-2019	89.0%2020-2024	−5.4 points	Within the margin of error	5%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3822015-2019	0.4202020-2024	+0.038	Within the margin of error	22%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent-burdened households	100.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	−100 points	Within the margin of error	100%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15075 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Watson, Louisiana five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Watson, Louisiana in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

No place that looked like Watson, Louisiana five years ago has more measures that improved than declined, with a higher standing among its peers today.

For comparison, Watson, Louisiana itself moved +19.5 points in standing on average over the same 5 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,357 residents (±624)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 60–69 men (−16.4 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,357 residents (±624)

Watson, Louisiana
Louisiana share

White86%†1,165
Black0.0%0
Hispanic or Latino8.8%†120

Education

772 residents (±261)

Watson, Louisiana
Louisiana share

No high school diploma11%†85
High school or GED43%†333
Some college11%†

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

423 households (±139)

Watson, Louisiana
Louisiana share

Under $25k23%†97
$25k–50k4.7%†20
$50k–75k14%†60
$75k–100k10%†44
$100k–150k12%†49
$150k–200k26%†109
$200k or more10%†44

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

423 households (±139)

Watson, Louisiana
Louisiana share

Own94%†399
Rent5.7%†24

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

24 households (±41)

Watson, Louisiana
Louisiana share

Under $7500.0%0
$750–1,0000.0%0
$1,000–1,5000.0%0

Home values

399 homes (±139)

Watson, Louisiana
Louisiana share

Under $150k15%†58
$150k–250k35%†138
$250k–400k31%†122

Age of homes

423 homes (±139)

Watson, Louisiana
Louisiana share

2010 or later6.4%†27
2000–200936%†151
1980–199936%†154

Size of homes

423 homes (±139)

Watson, Louisiana
Louisiana share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom0.0%0
2 bedrooms23%†98

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

471 workers (±205)

Watson, Louisiana
Louisiana share

Drive alone83%†393
Carpool7.4%†35
Public transit0.0%0
Walk0.0%0
Bike0.0%0
Work from home9.1%†43
Other0.0%0

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

428 workers (±196)

Watson, Louisiana
Louisiana share

Under 15 min23%†100
15–29 min23%†97
30–44 min24%†102

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Baton Rouge, LA

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Livingston Parish, the county holding most of Watson's residents.

Livingston Parish has 2,104 employer establishments, 139 for every 10,000 residents (0.56× the US rate of 248; 0.59× Louisiana's), with 24,542 paid employees at an average annual pay of $42,241. The Census Bureau also counts 13,283 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 2,104; 13,283 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 139; US 248 · Louisiana 236
Paid employees: 24,542
Average annual pay: $42,241; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Livingston Parish by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	253	16.8	1.08×About typical	2,164	$73,152	1,514
Restaurants and other eating places	193	12.8	0.70×Fewer than typical	4,119	$18,535	79
Building equipment contractors	122	8.1	1.34×More than typical	768	$53,423	345
Ambulatory health care services	117	7.8	0.37×Fewer than typical	1,292	$55,738	413
Limited-service restaurants	98	6.5	0.81×About typical	2,033	$15,493	23
Lessors of real estate	83	5.5	0.45×Fewer than typical	280	$37,186	885
Religious organizations	81	5.4	0.97×About typical	686	$18,547	—
Construction of buildings	76	5	0.67×Fewer than typical	630	$78,327	584
Gasoline stations	71	4.7	1.45×More than typical	428	$27,042	3
Services to buildings and dwellings	71	4.7	0.70×Fewer than typical	432	$28,759	1,509
Full-service restaurants	69	4.6	0.60×Fewer than typical	1,887	$21,433	25
Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors	69	4.6	1.38×More than typical	468	$52,844	192

Rank places for an industry Open Livingston Parish

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 150,872 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Watson, Louisiana: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0; −100% vs FY2025
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

5.9KFY2017
1.5KFY2018
148.2FY2019
-46.7FY2020
-18.8FY2021
402.2FY2023
536.3FY2024
22.3FY2025

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Watson, Louisiana, so they do not add up across cities.

Watson, Louisiana's figures are part of those of Livingston Parish, LA ($1.3M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Watson is mostly in Livingston Parish.

See federal money in Livingston Parish

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Watson, Louisiana is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).